'Shropshire should be proud' - Defence minister full of praise on visit to Telford tank manufacturer

According to the UK Government, the programme has created nearly 300 jobs within RBSL, including 130 engineers and 70 technicians, with an additional 450 jobs across the UK. The first Challenger 3s are due to enter service in 2027.

The visit also saw the minister apply a ceremonial "Made in Britain" sticker to one of an anticipated 600 British built Boxer vehicles to roll off the production line, after manufacturing started in Telford during 2023. 

"Telford and Shropshire should be proud of what this place is doing and I'm sure they are," she said.

"I've been incredibly impressed including to see the first fully British built Boxer which is a really proud moment for Telford and for Shropshire because it's the people living here who have done that.

"This is one of the best vehicles that's going to protect our army when they use it, keep them safe but also have fantastic capabilities to deal with any challenges out on the battlefield.

"There is huge talent and capability here, I've met some of the young people working here on testing the Challenger particularly and some of the welders who are putting together the Boxer - they're not older people, they're young people.

"Defence industries across the UK and here in the West Midlands can provide fantastic lifelong careers and well-paid jobs creating prosperity in Telford and the local area. That's what we want to see more of."

During the visit, the minister also met with members of RBSL’s workforce, thanking them for their dedication to programmes. As a gesture of appreciation, special Boxer coins were presented to members of the team following an address to factory staff, during which the minister highlighted the significance of their contributions to the UK’s defence and industrial strategy.

Following the visit, the minister later visited the £83m Defence Fulfillment Centre (DFC) at nearby MOD Donnington, which delivers critical equipment and supplies worldwide.

She added that a fresh defence strategy was being worked on to harness the "transformative impact" of defence manufacturing. Earlier this month, Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard called for a defence "skills cluster" to be created in Telford to include a new UK gun-barrel factory following a recent co-operation agreement between the British and German governments. 

"Defence industries and manufacturing have been identified in our industrial strategy as an area of growth and I'm currently working on a defence industrial strategy to focus on how we can get the maximum economic growth for all regions and nations in the UK," added Ms Eagle.

"This place has gone from being a museum of old vehicles and a car park to producing two of the most fantastic capable vehicles that our British Army needs and that shows the potential transformative impact of defence manufacturing."